Cute Is What We Aim For

In the history of cloying band names, Cute Is What We Aim For manages to stand out as a post-modern offender, but the band's clever pop punk fits snugly alongside other Warp Tour breakouts on the Fueled By Ramen label. The band was formed in January 2005 by singer Shaant Hacikyan and lead guitarist Jeff Czum, who were immediately taken under the wing of producers Shep Goodman (Marcy Playground, Mandy Moore) and Kenny Gioia (Hall and Oates, Lee Ann Womack). A number of highly publicized antics by Hacikyan led to a rotating cast of sidemen, but the quartet was eventually completed by Fred Cimato and Tom Falcone. The group's debut, The Same Old Blood Rush with a New Touch, became the fastest-selling release in the history of their label (a feat, considering they share it with Panic! At the Disco), and after two solid years of touring they signed to Columbia for their sophomore LP, due in 2008.